Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थं चैत्यवृक्षं च गुरुं जलभृतं घटम् । सिद्धान्नं दधिसिद्धार्थं गच्छन्कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणम्

Transliteration

aśvatthaṃ caityavṛkṣaṃ ca guruṃ jalabhṛtaṃ ghaṭam | siddhānnaṃ dadhisiddhārthaṃ gacchankuryātpradakṣiṇam

Translation

En marchant, qu’on accomplisse la pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation dans le sens des aiguilles d’une montre) autour de l’aśvattha, de l’arbre sacré caitya, de son guru, d’un pot rempli d’eau, du mets cuit offert comme « siddhānna », et du caillé mêlé de moutarde blanche, les honorant comme appuis propices du dharma.

Word by Word

• अश्वत्थम्: the aśvattha tree
• अश्वत्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चैत्यवृक्षम्: a sacred/caitya tree
• चैत्यवृक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्य-वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; चैत्य + वृक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (चैत्यः वृक्षः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• गुरुम्: a teacher
• गुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जलभृतम्: water-filled
• जलभृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल-भृत् (प्रातिपदिक; जल + भृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (जलम् भृतं यस्य/येन)

• घटम्: a pot
• घटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सिद्धान्नम्: cooked food
• सिद्धान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध-अन्न (प्रातिपदिक; सिद्ध + अन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सिद्धम् अन्नम्)

• दधिसिद्धार्थम्: sesame prepared with curd (a curd-preparation)
• दधिसिद्धार्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि-सिद्धार्थ (प्रातिपदिक; दधि + सिद्धार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दध्ना सिद्धः अर्थः/सिद्धार्थः)

• गच्छन्: going (while going)
• गच्छन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; क्रियाविशेषणभावेन (while going)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation (clockwise)
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced for Brāhma Khaṇḍa narrative style; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha / Caitya-vṛkṣa (as sacred spot)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim on a forest-path circles an aśvattha tree with a small platform shrine; nearby a guru stands with staff; a water-filled kalaśa and naivedya (siddhānna, curd with white mustard) are carried/placed, and the pilgrim performs pradakṣiṇā with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha
• Caitya-vṛkṣa
• Guru
• Ghaṭa (Kalaśa)
• Siddhānna
• Dadhi
• Siddhārtha (white mustard)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened by reverence: even everyday sacred supports—guru, holy trees, and pure offerings—are to be honoured through pradakṣiṇā, cultivating humility and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Dharmāraṇya-māhātmya section, praising the dhārmic sanctity of Dharmāraṇya (the sacred forest) through prescribed acts of reverence rather than naming a single tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā (clockwise circumambulation) is prescribed for the aśvattha tree, caitya-tree, the guru, a water-filled pot (kalaśa), and specific auspicious foods/offerings such as siddhānna and curd with white mustard.